Girls volleyball: Scouting Lake County
Antioch Sequoits
Coach: Jimmy Lallaman (1st season)
Last season’s record: 14-20, 3-4 Northern Lake County
Top returners: Emma Crow, 6-0, sr., MB, Mikayla Haskell, 6-0, jr., MB, Kayliana Losinger, 5-9, sr., OH
Key newcomers: Nora Ultsch, 5-11, soph., OH, Payton Burris, 5-4, soph., DS
Worth noting: Crow, a fast-moving middle with a high reach, and as Lallaman noted, has a fast-reacting IQ to find holes in blocks, is committed to Carthage College. Lallaman said a strong middle offense coupled with a fast-moving defense will fuel the Sequoits this fall. “The offense will be fast moving and playing to each player’s individual strengths to form a cohesive system,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of fast-moving players on defense that will keep the ball alive and keep rallies going.” Haskell brings quickness, power and athleticism in the middle, whle Losinger, “is an incredibly smart outside hitter who finds every possible way to score and adjust to the motions of the game,” Lallaman said. Lallaman said Lakes will be a top-tier team in the NLCC. “We will be working to be a top contender and make other teams earn their points,” he said.
Carmel Corsairs
Coach: Dave Pazely (14th season)
Last season’s record: 18-20, 0-7 East Suburban Catholic
Top returners: Madi Johnson, sr., DS, Heather Kintis, sr., OH, Molly Malzahn, sr., DS, Lauren Olson, sr., MB, Reese Wagner, sr., OH
Key newcomers: Kelsey Reim, soph., MB, Charlotte Shepherd, fresh., S
Worth noting: Carmel, a 3A regional champion a year ago, will be led by the likes of Malzahn, an incredible athlete and the anchor of the defense, Wagner, a strong all-around player and leader, and Reim, who brings a great block and hits a heavy ball, Pazely noted. While not tall, Pazely noted Carmel will be able to run a fast offense to create hitter openings, while great ball control and aggressive serving will help a strong defensive unit, he said. “Team chemistry is already coming together and I believe this year’s squad can put together a winning record with a strong playoff run,” said Pazely, who lists Marist and Benet as top-tier teams in the ESCC. “Any win in the ESCC is a quality win,” he added.
Grayslake Central Rams
Coach: Arian Colton (5th season)
Last season’s record: 24-11, 4-3 Northern Lake County
Top returners: Katie Marcelain, sr., OH-RS, Amelia Lacroix, jr., S, Madalene Meckl, jr., Libero, Niah Mondesir, jr., MB
Key newcomer: Ella LaPorte, jr., OH-RS
Worth noting: Marcelain and Meckl were all-NLCC picks and Meckl was a 2023 all-area selection. “We have a lot of returning varsity players who bring a tremendous amount of experience to the court,” Colton said. “I expect us to run an aggressive offense and play very solid defense.” Colton said Central has a lot of hitters who can play versatile roles, while Meckl headlines the defense in her third varsity season. “Madalene is tenacious and will lead others to play the same way,” she said. Colton also has high hopes for newcomer LaPorte, along with Amiyah Miller and Brooke Gulley. In terms of conference, Colton concurred Lakes will be a top a team. “We are looking to fight for the conference title that eluded us last season,” she said.
Grayslake North Knights
Coach: Nikki Kirchway (2nd season)
Last season’s record: 18-18, 3-4 Northern Lake County
Top returners: Chanea Butler, sr., RS, Natalie Poterek, sr., DS-OH, Hailey Ryan, sr., MB, Reese Oatsvall, jr., S, Lucy Roscoe, jr., DS-Libero, Grave Watschke, jr., OH, Ava Werner, soph., RS
Worth noting: Poterek is in a new outside hitting role this season and will catch the eyes of others with her defense as well, Kirchway said. Ryan is a key cog in the middle on both sides of the net, while Roscoe is one of North’s top defenders and best serve-receive player, Kirchway noted. “We will be a strong defensive team,” she said. “Our defense and hustle will be unmatched in many of our matches this season. Our offense will be solid, but we will work on consistency, speed and strategy because we are not the tallest team in the area.” Kirchway said don’t sleep on Grayslake Central and Grant in the conference.
Grant Bulldogs
Coach: JP Gizowski (3rd season)
Last season’s record: 17-19, 6-1 Northern Lake County runner-up
Top returners: Zendrea Pfau, 5-6, soph., OH
Key newcomers: Kara Schubert, 6-0, fresh., MB, Sienna Enters, 5-10, fresh., OH-RS
Worth noting: Pfau returns after registering 107 kills her freshman season. Middle play on both sides of the net will be a strength, Gizowski noted, after being known as an outside-dominant team. “I am used to a middle-strong offense” he said. Players with relentless pursuit will aid the defensive effort. “They will not give up on a ball,” Gizowski said. Gizowski said many NLCC schools graduated talented seniors. “I think teams may underestimate us since we graduated so many,” said Gizowski, who noted Grayslake Central is one to keep an eye on. “We have underclassmen who are this talented at the freshmen and sophomore level and have a lot of potential to become all-stars by the time they are seniors.”
Lakes Eagles
Coach: Sarah Yeager (5th season)
Last season’s record: 23-10, 7-0 (Northern Lake County champions)
Top returners: Adey Martin, 5-8, sr., OH, Riley Bell-Nance, 5-10, sr., MB
Key newcomers: Isabel Stauber, 5-9, soph., OH, Ray Sundquist, 5-10, soph., RS, Brynn Skinner, 5-9, fresh., OH
Worth noting: Lakes ran the table in the NLCC in 2023 and looks to be a top contender again. Martin was an all-conference pick last year after registering 163 kills and 210 digs. “Adey is a standout performer on the court who consistently demonstrates her exceptional skills and leadership,” Yeager said. Bell-Nance, a Lakes starting middle since freshman season, had 124 kills and 26 blocks out of the middle. “Riley can be a dominant force at the net and her ability to execute offensively will make her a key player in turning tight matches in the team’s favor,” Yeager said. Both are looking to play in college. “We have many athletes who are capable of playing multiple positions, offering flexibility in lineups and strategies to adapt to different opponents,” Yeager said. Powerful hitters with varied shots will allow Lakes to attack around the court, Yeager noted, while relentless ball pursuit and effective blocking at the net will be keys on defense, she said. Yeager is also high on freshman outside Skinner, who brings a powerful swing and consistent accuracy, she said.
Lake Zurich Bears
Coach: Rachel Wiatrowski
Last season’s record: 15-17, 4-3 North Suburban
Top returners: Karen Rejent, sr., MB, Ella Elsen, soph., S
Key newcomers: Emerson Smith, soph., OH, Sage Olson, fresh., S-RS
Worth noting: Youth will be a big part of the Bears’ 2024 equation with only 2 returners from last year’s team. “We are a very, very young team,” Wiatrowski said. “We are deep with defensive specialists and the setting looks very strong right now. We are going hard into the gym to develop our offense.” Elsen, Olson and Smith form a young, but dynamic trio. “Those three are very young with lots of energy,” Wiatrowski said. “They will be a fun group to watch in the upcoming season and beyond.” Wiatrowski said Libertyville and Stevenson will be tough as usual in the North Suburban.
Libertyville Wildcats
Coach: Greg Loika
Last season’s record: 30-10, 6-1 (North Suburban co-champions)
Top returners: Grace Coughlin, sr., MB, Ava Knight, sr., OH, Avery Maddux, jr., MB, Charlie Fleegle, soph., Libero
Worth noting: Maddux, a 2023 all-NSC honorable-mention pick, led the team in blocks, Fleegle registered 211 digs and Coughlin played in 15 matches a year ago on a team that won the NSC title and advanced to a Class 4A supersectional. Knight is committed to Aurora University. Libertyville graduated 10 seniors. “While we’ll be one of the most inexperienced teams Libertyville has had in some time, we will have a strong and dynamic energy that is going to be exciting to watch develop,” Loika said. “My belief is this team will have a great deal of potential as the season wears on and they gel as a unit. It’s hard to replace experience and skill and certainly replace both at the same time, but this group will view that standard as a challenge to reach.” Loika noted the Cats are taller at every position this fall “and quite possibly could be a more dangerous offensive unit when it’s all said and done,” he said. That height equates to a more impactful net presence on defense, plus the presence of a year-older Fleegle at libero, who will be flanked by senior defenders Campbell Kuypers and Olivia Schmidt. “Our back row should be steady and strong, which is a Libertyville staple,” Loika said. Senior outside Molly Lyon is back after missing a season due to injury. Coughlin will help at multiple positions and is greatly improved, Loika added. Senior setter Kenzie Tyrrell takes over the offense and is “quickly building outstanding rapport with her hitters and I look for her confidence as a leader to help steer this team’s identity early,” Loika said.
Mundelein Mustangs
Coach: Jeff Blezien (1st season)
Last season’s record: 20-13, 4-3 North Suburban
Top returners: Allison Kampa, sr., OH, Norah Emso, sr., S-RS, Sarah Choi, sr., DS-Libero, Bella Snow, jr., S-RS
Key newcomers: Tylea Crow, sr., OH, Sofia Mitry, soph., MB
Worth noting: Emso earned all-NSC honors after racking up 500 assists and 229 digs last season. Kampa was an all-NSC honorable-mention selection (138 kills). Choi registered 275 digs and Snow connected on 42 service aces. First-year Mundelein head coach Blezien has 8 returning players who saw significant time last fall. “Our experience will help us a lot,” he said. “I like our balance in the front row. We have some people playing in expanded roles and I think we will get production all along the net. Defensively, I think we will surprise a bunch of people with our block and be able to extend a bunch of plays.” Emso is in her third season setting on the varsity “and is learning how to attack defenses in different ways to make her hitters successful,” Blezien pointed out. Blezien calls Snow one of the team’s most physically gifted athletes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she led our team in aces and blocks,” he said. Kampa, Blezien noted, has the ability to turn in a 300-plus-kill season. “Allison is learning to add different types of attacks and is playing a more consistent game,” he said.
Stevenson Patriots
Coach: Tim Crow (23 rd season)
Last season’s record: 31-8, 6-1 (North Suburban co-champions)
Top returners: Ava Wyscoki, 6-0, sr., RS-OH, Ryler Bondad, 5-6, soph., S-DS
Key newcomers: Juun Shin, 5-8, sr., S, Lillian Salej, 5-8, sr., MB, Bethany Payawal, 5-5, sr., Libero, Kierra Flynn, 5-7, sr., OH-DS, Viv Sieja, 5-7, jr., OH, Neha Manchikalapati, 5-11, jr., MB-RS, Nomin Baterdene, 5-10, jr., OH, Abigail Inman, 5-9, soph., OH, Adrianna Linnane, 5-11, soph., RS-OH, Maya Patryarcha, 5-10, soph., MB, Lillian Zhou, 5-5, Libero
Worth noting: The Patriots graduated 10 seniors, including three who moved onto the college ranks from a team that advanced to a Class 4A sectional final. Wysocki is a returning all-NSC pick and all-area selection (153 kills, 44 blocks), while Bondad had 104 digs and 34 aces. Wysocki is committed to the University of Illinois. “We expect a big year from Ava,” Crow said. “He role will go from being our safety net to our go-to attacker.” Crow likes the team’s versatility where multiple players can play multiple positions. Offensively, Stevenson has athleticism that will allow swings being taken from across the floor, while Crow noted defensively all things revolve around first contact and how players will step up in pressure situations. Crow noted many teams in the North Suburban graduated significant amounts of seniors, but “the conference is always strong,” he said. “We have very little varsity experience and we look forward to the growth ahead.”
Vernon Hills Cougars
Coach: Max Spiglanin
Last season’s record: 16-18, third Central Suburban North
Top returning players: Emily Hammond, 5-6, sr., Libero, Veronica Ramirez, 5-9, sr., OH, Kiersten Cieslinski, 5-10, soph., OH
Key newcomers: Annabelle Smith, jr., OH, Emma Isakhanian, jr., MB, Katelyn Griffith, jr., S
Worth noting: Cieslinski (157 kills, 26 aces) was an all-CSL pick and all-area honorable-mention selection. Hammond registered 188 digs and 19 aces, while Ramirez finished with 146 kills, 98 digs and 28 aces. Spiglanin said experienced leadership combined with the fresh energy of new talents “provides a dynamic and versatile lineup,” he said. Diverse skill sets at setter, on the outside and in the middle will help the Cougars’ offense, while Hammond and Tessa Posner will anchor the Vernon Hills defense, providing a “robust backbone to our defense and passing systems,” Spiglanin pointed out. Cieslinski and senior middle Olivia Lehocky bring height on the blocking front, adding “a formidable barrier at the net,” Spiglanin said. Senior setter Olivia Packee “is a player who is always willing to do whatever it takes to get better and learn,” the coach said. “She’s ready to step up and led us not only with her setting, but with her leadership.”
Warren Township Blue Devils
Coach: Yun Chen
Last season’s record: 26-11, 5-2 North Suburban
Top returners: Lauren Schilz, sr., OH, Taylor Coombes, sr., OH, Allison Jiang, sr., RS, Madelyn Ide, Jr., RS-DS
Key newcomers: Alyse Murphy-Spiteri, sr., MB, Lyla Christensen, jr., S, Shayla Ray, soph., MB
Worth noting: Schilz, a 3-year varsity starter, registered 206 kills in 2023 on a team that lost to Libertyville in 3 sets in a 4A sectional final. Coombes was a defensive specialist last season “and has grown into a leader for our team,” assistant coach Kyle Arnold noted. “She is one of the hardest-working kids I have coached.” Jiang is a long left-handed hitter, “who can put a ball down from anywhere on the net and will be a large block for opposing team’s outside hitters,” Arnold explained. Arnold said the Blue Devils, along with Libertyville, Stevenson and Lake Zurich should be top contenders. “With a solid mix of returning talent and promising newcomers, we look to build on last season’s success and compete for a top spot in the conference,” he said.
Did not provide information prior to deadline: Round Lake, Wauconda